Hunted
by beforetheskyfalls
Summary: I'm Brynn Hunter. Ever since I was a little girl, I've wanted to be a hero. My mother trained me for years to make my dream come true, and I pushed myself to make my goal a reality. I had always wished for the life of a courageous knight, and in a corrupt way, I guess I got what I'd wanted. But let's just say, there's a reason people say be careful what you wish for...
1. Chapter 1: Brynn - Becoming a Hero

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series, or the Heroes of Olympus series. All rights and ownership belong to Rick Riordan.**

 **This story is set a number of years after the Blood of Olympus. Material from multiple books in the PJO and HoO series will be included. Some content may be inspired from other series besides PJO, but will not have, or acknowledge, any characters from other books. Constructive criticism, suggestions, and additional information are welcome.**

Ever since I was a little girl, I'd wanted to be a hero. Whether it be a spy, a knight, or a superhuman, I wanted a part of the action. I just felt this need to help people, to do whatever I could to make New York as safe as possible.

I would hear the stories about damsels in distress, locked in their pitiful towers, being saved by courageous knights. And even as a young, impressionable little girl, I would think, I want to be the one that saves everyone. I want to be best knight the world has ever known, and no one was going to get in my way.

I haven't really figured out why, but I think my overwhelming need to do good started when I was five and saw my mom crying in her bedroom, murmuring about how she had to keep me protected. My mom almost never cries.

Ever since then, I'd always wanted to be the one to protect her. To protect everyone. Even from a young age, I'd always felt as if one day, I would be needed by someone who truly required my help. And when that day comes, I want to be ready.

When I was only around six years old, I came to my mother to ask for help. "I need armor if I want to be a knight," I had said,"Maybe a sword. I want to be a hero mom, like in the stories. I need your help."

My mom looked at me funny for a little while, until a weary smile grew on her lips. "Oh Brynn," She said, "You don't need armor, or weapons, to be a hero. All you will ever need is in here." Mom tapped my forehead. "And here." She then placed a hand over my heart. I put my hand over my heart once she took hers away, wondering how passion and fire could end up overthrowing fists and swords.

"I can help you if you want to be a hero, but there will be many obstacles in your way. I suggest that you keep helping others a secret, so that no one will try to stop you from doing what's right. I should've told you this before, but becoming a hero is not easy. Becoming a hero is actually incredibly hard, and many people will not rise to the challenge. But I believe in you, Brynn Hunter, I really do." I nodded at her, my eyes wide and admiring.

"If you want to be a hero, you must train extremely hard every single day, and never give up, no matter what happens. You must always give your very best, and expect others to give their best in return. Not every battle will be as easy as the last. And if you fall, you must get back up, Brynn. You have to get back up. Okay?"

I could see tears glisten in my mother's eyes and quickly nodded, not used to her getting so emotional. "That is most important out of all of this, it is the core of being a hero. To be a hero means you are responsible for others lives. You must do whatever it takes to keep those lives safe, even if it means giving your own. Are you ready to give up anything you've ever known to become a hero, Brynn?"

At the time, I was too young to truly understand what Mom was asking of me. I couldn't comprehend how unusual of a thing that was for a single mother to say to her six year old child. Despite my initial confusion, I said yes.

In some grotesque, corrupt way, I got what I'd wanted. But there's a reason people say, be careful what you wish for.

O.o.O

I am an idiot, I thought, as I walked down the streets of New York. Thunder rumbled loudly, as if to agree. The sky was incredibly overcast, with a slight, neverending drizzle, but I was accustom to it by now. The Big Apple isn't exactly known for being a sunny, happy place. The yelling people, overly loud car horns, and barking dogs were just a part of everyday life for me, the complete, absolute, without-a-doubt, idiotic mess of a fifteen year old girl, named Brynn.

I pulled my black hoodie tighter around myself as the rain picked up even more. My gray sweatpants were starting to get wet, and clung to my toned legs.

The whole point of wearing them was to hide my feminine curves, so I would look overwhelmingly normal. Their annoying stickiness was not exactly helping.

Usually, people don't give you a second glance when you are walking on the streets of New York, but Zac insisted that I put that much more effort into being invisible. I didn't really understand why, but I did know one thing for sure. A guy with muscled, but definitely feminine legs would cause some strange looks.

I walked casually, breathing in the damp air around me. Running had always helped clear my mind, but that would draw attention, so I had to settle for walking. Shaking my head, I tried to remember as much information as possible.

I had completely forgotten almost a whole month of school work, and hadn't bothered to study, even though exams were tomorrow. Tomorrow was the second to last day of school at Yancy, and exams were pretty much a pass-or-die type thing. My dyslexia made it hard to read and pay attention in class, and my ADHD made sure that whatever I did remember, went right out the window.

However, my learning disorders didn't just give me an excuse to fail. No matter what, my mother expects me to put forth my best effort, and I expect myself to do that and then some. If I don't pass exams, my mother will make sure I don't pass my sixteenth birthday.

Shaking my head, again, I tried to recall anything somewhat important from last quarter. I walked down the street, noticing subconsciously how there was a slightly less than average amount of people on the sidewalk.

I knew what that meant very well. People were avoiding something farther down the sidewalk. Once I passed an alley to my right, I knew what they were trying to elude. Four masked men stood above a businessman in expensive looking clothes. One held a gun.

The poor guy looked to be a lawyer, and sported a slowly forming fresh black eye. I felt bad for him, since the fear in his eyes probably indicated that he had a family at home who needed him (he also had a smiley face sticker on his hand, which probably didn't get there by itself).

The four masked boys seemed to be pretty well off, based on their clothing, just under college age. At least these guys had the dignity to try and hide their identities, but the fact that they already had plenty of money made me sick.

One of the masked men demanded the lawyer to hand over all his valuables, while another kicked the victim in the stomach. The lawyer whimpered at the kick, and curled up even tighter, as they pushed the gun closer to his head.

It was a cheap, poorly made gun, but could still fatally injure someone. I couldn't just stand there and wonder how those guys had gotten their hands on a gun. I _wouldn't_ just stand there. It was time to teach those boys a lesson.

I probably should've approached them discreetly, so that the element of surprise was on my side. If I had gone up more quietly, in the shadows, maybe it would've been over even quicker. I was planning on coming in at a normal walking pace, and act surprised at seeing the mugging, to distract them. However, that all changed when one of the boys bent down, and ripped the smiley face sticker right off the lawyer's hand.

Something inside me snapped, and my blood started to boil, as I watched the teen blatantly disrespect the victim's child. I put aside all rational thoughts, and stepped into the alley.

Pulling my hood even farther over my face, I walked into the light, rain pouring dramatically from the sky. Getting ready to speak in a voice much lower and manlier than my own, I looked straight into their eyes, daring them to continue. I glared at the wanna-be criminals, and said, "I don't think so."

The guy with the gun laughed gruffly, obviously amused by my sudden appearance. He gave me an evil smirk that was barely visible under his black mask, and barked out, "Get outta here, boy. This is none of your business." I shook my head, and replied, "Put down the gun, and no one gets hurt." I took another step closer, clenching my fists. "Okay kid, I'm done playin', alright? Get the fuck out." I shook my head, again, stepping even closer.

"I said, get the hell outta here." He said, no longer looking amused at my interference.

Oh well, I'd tried to warn them. Their mistake.

One boy with an ear piercing stepped forward to throw a clumsy jab at me, and a familiar feeling flowed throughout my body. Time seemed to slow down, as a sensation I knew all too well coursed through me. His arm moved slowly, as if through water, and I could've easily just walked away before his fist made any contact.

After a few seconds of watching the guy's swing in amusement, I caught his arm, and judo flipped him. His back hit the concrete hard, and the boy instantly started spitting out curses that I'm sure would get me grounded for the rest of my life if they ever came out of my mouth.

The others looked at me in shock, but I didn't pay them too much attention. What had just happened was probably about four or five seconds long for them, but seemed like at least forty to me. I refused to give them any more time to register what I had just done, and walked towards them. Stepping forward, I drove a punch straight into another boy's nose.

A crack rang out, and I knew his nose was busted. He yelled even worse curses than the first boy, glaring up at me. He looked at me incredulously, not expecting me to have broken his nose so easily. No one really expects me to be so powerful. Oh how I love being underestimated. It just makes it all the better when I prove everyone wrong.

I put my heel on the guy's neck, pushing down on his pressure point. He almost immediately went slack, passed out on the wet cement. I turned to the first bully, the one I had judo flipped oh-so-easily.

Pure rage darkened his features as he stood, and started to run at me. I didn't panic, though. I just let myself get carried away, focusing on the torrents of rain coming down from the blank gray sky. I was used to doing this, and had finally tuned all my senses to be aware at all times. My perception of time, now only slowed if I was in immediate danger, or if I was about to make a blow to the opponent. As the second guy came forward, I relaxed and let my instincts take over, knowing that I wouldn't end up with a scratch.

The enraged teenager flew at me, with the intention of tackling me to the cement. I just dodged his reaching arms, and pushed him to the ground. The guy fell on his chest, getting the wind knocked out of him, and stayed on the pavement, desperately inhaling.

The third boy growled at me, going to punch me in the back of my head while I was distracted. Warning signals flashed through my brain, and I instantly ducked.

Getting down on all fours, I swept a leg around the guy's ankles. His feet were kicked out from under him, and he landed hard on his back. I brought a knee down on his temple, and the boy was out like a light. The second one finally caught his breath, and scrambled up, a line of blood dribbling from his nose. I was getting bored of playing around, and did a roundhouse kick to his skull.

The guy was done for, and got knocked out the second my foot connected to his head. He crumbled to the ground in a heap, and I whipped around to find the last one watching me. His hand was visibly shaking as he pointed the cheap gun at me. The boy obviously wasn't planning on using the small thing, but he looked terrified enough to consider it.

"Leave now, boy, or you'll regret it." He said, but there was no real bite behind his words.

I didn't want to risk getting shot, but the poor businessman was still on the floor, clutching his stomach in pain. In a split second decision, I kicked the boy with the gun right in the hand.

His finger wasn't on the trigger, thank the gods, and the gun slipped out of his grip.

I quickly kicked it out of reach, as the boy clawed at his wrist in pain. I lashed out again, kicking the boy in the gut. He doubled over, wheezing, and clutched his stomach. Not even bothering to knock the boy out, I hit him between the shoulder blades with my elbow. The guy fell face first on the street, which was slick from the pouring rain. He curled up into a ball, and spat even more curses at me, as I walked past to the poor man on the concrete.

My concept of time quickly adjusted to its normal perception, and I realized that what had seemed like a ten minute fight to me, probably happened in under three to anyone else.

I shook my head, as if to shake off what had just went down, and put on my most reassuring smile. I wasn't done until the victim felt safe, and I'm sure after watching me fight those boys, he felt less than secure.

Bending down so that I was eye level with the lawyer-looking man, I stuck out a hand to help him up. Even though I was trying to be gentle and kind, he just stared at my hand wearily.

My unflattering black Adidas hoodie, and gray sweatpants still obscured my feminine areas, for the most part. He obviously thought that I was just another spoiled male brat, who didn't want to share his new punching bag. I felt bad for the man, who obviously expected me to continue his tormenting.

Taking off my hood, I let my face and long, wet ponytail fall into sight. He scrambled upright, sitting with his back to the brick building neck to us. "You-you're a girl?" He rasped in surprise, looking at me with wide eyes.

I nodded and smiled gently, offering my hand again. This time, the lawyer took it, and I helped him up. The rain seemed to fall even harder in that moment, and I smiled as all the bad feelings in the alley were washed away.

The man's soaked coat seemed to weigh him down, almost, and I supported the majority of his weight as he stood. "Do you have any injuries besides your black eye?" I asked, eyeing him cautiously. "No." The lawyer replied simply, as I leaned him against the brick wall of the building next to us.

The only conscious boy left, the one who had previously held the stupid gun, looked at me in fear. "You're a fucking girl?" He choked out, groaning on the pavement.

I payed him no attention, and picked up the sopping wet smiley face sticker that had attached itself to the street. I handed it to the man, and asked, "Did they steal anything?" He nodded, looking at the flimsy yellow sticker, and told me the different items they took.

I then proceeded to take his iPhone, wallet, and house keys from the unconscious teenagers pockets, and hand them over to their rightful owner. I used his iPhone to call the police (thank the gods it worked, despite being fallen on, rained on, and viciously tossed around), and then made sure that he had gotten all the objects stolen. With the police on the way, I finally relaxed a little bit. Mission accomplished.

"What-what're you going to do about that gun? And h-how did you do that? How did you knock out all those boys?" The lawyer asked, pocketing the items that had been stolen from him, and putting the soaked sticker back on his hand. He looked at me, equally amazed and frightened.

"We already called the police, they'll take car of the gun and the jerks that decided to bother you in the first place. And, as for me knocking out all of these guys...well, let's just say I don't like seeing innocent people getting hurt." I replied, looking at his swollen, blackening eye.

He looked at me quizzically, probably wondering if that was the full story. However, he seemed to let it slide, since I'd kinda just saved his ass.

"Thank you. Thank you so much! W-what can I do to repay you? You just saved my life, and I know I can never fully rid of the debt I owe you, but, still, you-"

"Sir, it's fine. You don't need to give me anything. I just want you to be more aware, and try not to get in such dangerous situations." I replied, smiling at his proposition.

"You-you don't want anything in return? I'm a well-off attorney, and I have a lot to offer. Without you, my daughter might have ended up without a father, and I want to make it up to you, somehow." His smile was genuine, but I just shook my head at the man, smiling even wider at my correct assumption of his career. No matter how rich the guy was, true heroes didn't require payment to do good deeds, and I didn't plan on changing that anytime soon.

"No really, if there's anything I can do for you..." He tried again.

"It's okay, really. All I ask of you, sir, is to help others. You may not want to run and get in front of a man with a gun like I did, but try to help out here and there. It's the small things that really count. If you see someone in need, help them out. Don't be like those people on the street, who didn't even give you a second glance. That is all I ask of you." I replied, smiling softly at him.

"I-okay. You just saved my life, so it's only right to pay it forward. Th-thank you again, thanks so much. I..I'll try to do as you say. I've never really done anything to help others on the street, I'm ashamed to say, and I'll probably never be able to do anything as brave as you did. Still, I'll try to help when I can. Thank you again, so much."

I just nodded at him, and left the alley, going in the direction of Yancy. I needed to get back to my dorm, as soon as possible. I was not tired at all, but I needed to give my brain a break, and get dry clothes.

As soon as I got out of the alley, I started to run, leaving the attorney behind. The guy had already told me that he wasn't injured, could speak despite the shock, and was an attorney for gods' sake. He could handle a few police officers by himself. I was not about to wait around and be questioned by some cops who would try to stop me from helping people, and from "taking their job" (which they should be doing, anyway). "Wait! You never told me who you are!" The attorney shouted, behind me, over the pouring rain.

I just ran harder and harder, weaving through the few people on the streets. My legs moved in a rhythm, and my strides got longer with every step.

I probably should've worried about slipping on the wet concrete, but I knew I wouldn't. Soon, I forgot about the criminals, about the lawyer, about everything really, and just ran. Because sometimes, running towards something can make you feel just as alive as running away from something.


	2. Chapter 2: Zac - Just Some Rain

I could close my eyes and sit there forever. The rain was a calming sound, compared to the usual, overwhelming noise that only New York could produce. I breathed in, letting the energy of the storm flow through me. I slowly started feeling stronger and stronger, the pitter patter a comforting melody in the background. I don't really know how a huge rainstorm could make me feel so...at peace, but I don't mind as long as I have some escape from reality.

I usually don't act like a nutcase in public, and I don't really even remember closing my eyes. One moment, I was sitting on the uncomfortable, concrete steps of Yancy, waiting for Brynn, and the next, I was criss cross, listening to the rain, like a hippie.

I usually would snicker at shit like this, and mutter something to Brynn about how we should stop training and take up meditation. At the moment, however, I didn't really care what anyone, including myself, thought. Bad weather always had a strange way of making me feel powerful.

That's why I didn't really object when Brynn nicknamed me, Weatherman, although I still haven't figured out if she means weatherman, as in a news channel dude, or Weatherman, as in a superhero guy. I choose to believe the second one.

I smiled a little, thinking of my ridiculous nickname. I had yet to come up with one for Brynn, 'cause I'm just lame like that, but I had a feeling that when the right pet name comes, I'll know. Brynn's should be easy, though, considering her incredible fighting capabilities.

We have a very... _different_ style of fighting. Brynn's is fluid, graceful, and captivating in the most deadly way possible. She had to train a lot to get back into the flow of things, after having to leave her mother back at home, but, now, Brynn is a seriously amazing combat partner.

Even though I would never admit it, her beating me up actually teaches me how to fight better, even if I look like shit while doing it. Brynn could beat my ass ten times in a row and not even break a sweat. Usually, I provide enough sweat for the both of us, though so it's all good.

It's pretty strange when I spar with Brynn because she always seems to glow after she trains. Sometimes, Brynn looks even better than she did before training started, and that's from the unbiased view of a best friend. Well, mostly unbiased.

But then again, Brynn could wear a trash bag to school, and she'd probably get five offers to be on the cover of a magazine, several modeling job requests, and start a new trend in the strange world of fashion.

Anyways, compared to Brynn, I'm more of a rough fighter. I tend to rely on my strength while I fight, and my movement isn't as clean and precise as Brynn's. All in all, my technique could definitely use some improvement. _Lots_ of improvement. So, sparring with Brynn definitely has its perks.

Inhaling deeply, I breathed in the pure aroma of a brewing storm, once more. It almost completely drowned out the polluted musk of the city, and I was starting to remember what actual, clean air smells like. I had always found the scent of a thundershower calming.

This time, however, I detected something else in the scent of pouring rain. There was a hint of something different...and it smelled like peaches. I actually kind of like it, too, taking another deep breath, and then another.

After inhaling multiple times, I started to wonder where the new peach smell was coming from. To be honest, I couldn't get enough of it, and I was starting to wonder if I had some weird addiction to the fruit.

"Hey, Weatherman." Someone said unexpectedly, their voice close to my ear.

Suddenly, I knew what, or should I say _who_ , the alluring scent belonged to.

"Hey, yourself." I replied, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart. Brynn came to my side, rolled her eyes playfully at my lame comeback, and sat down next to me on the concrete steps of Yancy. It wasn't exactly comfortable to be sitting on the cement, but I liked being outside when there was a storm. We were out of the rain, anyway, under the little bit of roof that covered the stairs. But, if you stuck your hand out, your palm would still touch the falling rain, which I did quite often.

Brynn scooted back a little bit, and sat on the top step, matching my criss cross position. I sat on the top step with her, watching the torrents of rain falling from the sky. I clenched my fist, very aware of how both of Brynn's hands were red. She was a leftie, so that was the fist she usually struck with, but could use her right with ease if needed. I wondered what caused Brynn to use her left and right as hard as she did, but didn't want to ask her just yet.

We just sat there for a few seconds, watching the weather get worse and worse, until Brynn pulled off the hood of the Adidas sweatshirt I gave her a few years back, and let her beautiful, long brown ponytail fall into sight. Brynn had natural auburn highlights in it, so whenever she was in the sun, her hair looked like it was on fire. It reminded me of her amber eyes, which always had a determined light in them.

"Your hair is soaking wet." I commented, immediately cursing myself for being an idiot. A gorgeous, fifteen year old girl walked alone on the streets of New York, fighting numerous criminals all by herself, and the first thing I said to her was an insult. Well played, Zac King, turn a perfectly normal situation, and make it unbearably awkward. Smooth.

Brynn just laughed, and shook out her hair, getting water everywhere. I cursed and affectionately tried to push her off the stairs, and into the rain. Instead, Brynn grabbed me by my shoulders, and tossed me easily into the wet grass to the right of the sidewalk.

I glared at her, and started to roll around like I was suffering incredibly from her evil torment. With Brynn around, pretending to be in pain wasn't that hard. I swear, the next time I high-five that she-beast, I'm gonna break a fucking wrist.

"The agony! The agonizingly agonizing agony!" I shouted, loud enough to probably disrupt everyone in their dorms. When one kid opened his curtains a few floors up, I waved like nothing was wrong. He just closed the curtain, and I couldn't really blame the guy. I wasn't exactly the boy population of our school's favorite person. Now, the girls are a different story, but dudes? They tend to straight up hate me.

I didn't really care, though. I wouldn't really mind if everyone, including the girls, hated me. The teachers already do, pretty much. Based on the fact that Ms. Kage is glaring through the window like I just deprived her of sleep for the next three years, I'm gonna guess she's on the worse side of that list.

I would wake up all the teachers, and lock them in the supplies closet for the rest of the week, just to prove a point, if I could. I could care less of what they thought about me. Brynn and I were only at Yancy because her mom thought we'd be "safer" here, whatever that means. My mother is...complicated, but I don't have to worry about her for a few more days, so I try not to think about it.

Brynn _finally_ came up to me, rolling her eyes, and put out a hand for me to grab. Instead of taking her hand, I pulled Brynn on the grass with me. We both stayed there, laughing, even though we were getting soaked. I could've stayed on the grass, under the rain, for the next six hours if I wanted to.

Brynn and I pretty much never get sick, so we didn't have to worry about catching a cold. Right as I was about to turn to face her, I felt Brynn move. My best friend got up, and turned to look me in the eye. I was still lying flat on my back, my face getting assaulted by the cool rain drop, but Brynn had sat up by my side, her hood up, once again. I frowned at the mischievous grin on her face, knowing what it meant.

"Don't say it," I pleaded, "Be a normal, average girl, who actually gets tired, for once. Please be a regular teenager, just this one time." "Sorry Zac, we both know I'm nowhere near normal." "Don't do it. I'm somewhat normal, spare me!" I groaned, sitting up and trying to bolt, as far away as possible. However, Brynn had put her iron death grip on my shoulder, and wasn't letting up. There was no escape, and I groaned again, knowing, and dreading, the question that was about to come. "Soooo, Zac...do you want to train?"

O.o.O

Holding my sword out towards Brynn, I got into quinte position. We'd decided to use fencing terms for our fighting positions, so that if anyone heard us, we could tell them that we did fencing, or something like that. Plus clanging those thin metal stick things together was sorta like combat, I guess. I didn't really get into the details, and set my feet.

"Okay, Zac, good stance. You've gotten a lot better with that. Let's start with an absence of blade, and then we'll advance. On your go, alright? Oh, and remember, these are just terms, Zac, what people do in fencing is different than this. We're just using their slang, 'kay?" I nodded, mostly focusing on the swords. I'd heard all of this many times before.

"Ready?" Brynn asked, looking me in the eyes, briefly. It was still raining out, so I felt a little bit better than I probably should've. I searched her fiery amber eyes, nodded, and shouted, "Advance!" Our wooden blades clashed, and everything else disappeared.

Brynn's hair whipped around viciously in its ponytail, spraying rainwater everywhere. The rain didn't really affect me though, and I continued to parry her every attack. Brynn has the key to my destruction in the palm of her hand, though. She's been around me for so long, that my weaknesses are something that Brynn can remember off the top of her head.

Brynn's also a very smart, calculating fighter, planning the opponent's downfall before she's even started truly battling them. Plus, knowing me so well, Brynn's already figured out that if she attacks first, hard, then I'll waste all my energy blocking her rapid, deadly assault.

Brynn slashed at me with her blade again and again, incredible power laced in each blow. I still have no idea how her mom knew how to fight, let alone teach Brynn, but I have to say, she did an amazing job.

Brynn turned, and struck once more, from a different angle, causing me to duck and roll to my right. I swiped at her legs with my sword, going on the offense. Brynn easily jumped over the swinging blade, poking at me, while I was crouched in the mud. I rolled again to get out of the way, probably getting a good amount of mud on my T-shirt.

Standing up quickly, I started to attack, now, throwing all the creative, unexpected tricks I could think of. Brynn anticipated all of them, blocking all my moves with simple swishes of her sword. I was starting to get aggravated at her teasing, and put full force into my assault. Brynn looked slightly surprised, and I think, even _impressed_ , but she still stopped all my attempts, taking a slow step forward.

I raised an eyebrow, wondering what Brynn was doing, as she suddenly got extremely close. Brynn looked into my eyes, searching them for something. And then, all the breath left my body, as Brynn brought her hand to my bicep, and ran it down my arm. I didn't know what gave her the sudden urge to touch me like that, but I didn't object.

Brynn looked into my eyes thoughtfully, her right hand caressing my wrist, lightly. I stared right back, hiding my initial ecstasy with a quizzical expression. She smiled softly, and her fingers started to entwine themselves into mine. My eyes widened as I realized that she was trying to hold my hand.

As soon as I was about to drop my sword to take her incredibly soft hand, she ripped it out of my grasp. Grabbing the loosely gripped sword, she pointed it at my throat, her actual sword pressing against the back of my neck.

"Rule number one," Brynn huffed out with a mischievous smirk, blowing a strand of hair out of her face," _Never_ underestimate your opponent." I grinned knowingly, and shook my head, looking away. The smile turned slightly bitter, as I reprimanded myself. Of course it was all a trick, how could I ever think otherwise? Brynn is my best friend, she'd never have any feelings towards me. I wasn't good enough for her, and until I proved that I was right for Brynn, I would watch and wait.

Brynn took the swords away from my neck and we both slowly relaxed. As we stretched and winded down, Brynn started to speak as she used my shoulder for balance.

"Zac, about earlier…when I tried to hold your hand...I know that you were sorta weirded out by that, since that kind of stuff isn't my forte, but it was the only thing I could think of as a distraction. I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable, or something."

I almost laughed at her apology. She thought that it was a foolish distraction, and that it was more weird than effective. Obviously, Brynn had no idea how much it affected me because I still yearned for the feeling of her hand engulfed in mine.

No matter how many girls at school think I'm the King of Hotness (King _is_ my last name, so it only makes sense that I'm incredibly handsome. I may have a modesty problem, though), I would have to hold out for Brynn. Even if I told her, I'd probably not allow myself to get near Brynn until I was worth her time.

Brynn put her sword and mine back into the cluttered football storage bin, not bothering to hide them in the shed. No one is allowed to play football anymore, after the Roof Incident (don't ask, you definitely don't want to know), and no one wants to clean out the revoltingly dirty storage unit, so we store our stuff in there. Plus, there's football tackling dummies for us to practice on, so it all works out.

The rain had turned the okay-ish track field into a muddy, disgusting swamp. Brynn and I both had mud caked onto our shoes as we, at last, walked into the dorm building of Yancy. Neither of us really cared if we tracked mud inside however, since the school deserved every bit of mess we left behind.

I walked Brynn over to her dorm, as we usually did after training. The boys and girls have dorms on different sides of the building, but the teachers usually don't care enough to yell at us for walking girls to their rooms. I thought about my roommate, Blake, walking up the stairs to Brynn's room, with a slight frown on my face. I felt bad about having to rain check on our plans to hang out, just so that I could spend time with Brynn. Again.

Brynn doesn't have a roommate, though, so she is all by herself when I'm not around. Even if Brynn did have a roommate, the girl would probably be too scared and amazed by her to talk. I mean, Brynn's intimidated all the girls into leaving her alone, and the guys are afraid to touch, or talk to her for that matter, after the "Jake Accident" (let's just say that there are a lot of "Incidents" and "Accidents" at a school for troubled children).

One time, this perverted bastard named Jake Turner dared to slap Brynn on the ass. I know, what an idiot? In a way, he was lucky Brynn punished the douchebag before I got to him. She may be better in combat, but I was mad as fuck. Brynn dealt with it well, though, and I was somewhat pacified. For Jake, well, let's just say that he ended up with a dislocated shoulder, and had to take therapy sessions in place of his electives.

We finally got to Brynn's dorm room, at the very end of the hall on the second floor. Her room is the biggest one out of all the other girls dorms, even though it's only Brynn staying in there, but we figured that it was because administration wanted to keep the most fearsome girl in school happy.\

I felt overwhelmingly relieved and tired, as I took out my extra key to her room in anticipation. Opening the door, I ushered Brynn in, and started to rummage through her closet. I grabbed a pair of black jeans that was left in her dorm when I fell asleep after training the other day. Taking an oversized black tee that I'd given Brynn to wear when she fought on the street, I went to the bathroom and changed, letting Brynn get into dry clothes, too.

As soon as I knew she was dressed, I left the bathroom to walk out the door. Before I could reach the exit, I felt Brynn grasp my shoulder, turning me

to face her.

"Hey," Brynn said, smiling at me with a confused expression on her face," Don't you want to stay and talk with me? Like we always do?"

"Uh, I'm really tired…"

"Do you not feel well, or something, cause we, like, never get sick?" Brynn interrupted in concern, putting a hand to my forehead to feel my temperature.

I brushed off her hand, remembering how it had stroked my arm in training earlier. "No, I'm not sick." I replied, not meeting her eyes.

I didn't mean to be cold or rude, but that little show Brynn put on back at the track fields wasn't exactly sweet and kind. It was actually pretty damn harsh, although Brynn had absolutely no idea how into her I was. I didn't want to upset her, but it was hard for me not to be a little pissed off.

"Then what is it? Are you sure you're okay?" Brynn asked, her smile dropping. I finally looked at my best friend, not feeling up to smirking like I usually do. "I'm not sick, but I never said I was okay." I stated, breaking eye contact with her, again, to look out the window at the rain.

The pitter patter calmed me, and I took in a deep breath. "I really think I just need some space right now, okay?"

However, Brynn wasn't taking that for an answer, since she knows I never leave right away after we do combat training.

"Zac, what's up with you? I don't know what's going on, and you don't have to tell me, just please act like this. I'm not sure what I did, if it was even me that upset you, but please just grin and crack a dirty joke, or something. You're my best friend, Zac, and I don't know what'd I do without you. I can't go even a day without you, even if you're going on and on about your 'perfect' hair and so-called 'muscles'." Brynn teased me, causing the slightest smile to reach my lips.

"But seriously, Zac...I would be nothing without you, my annoying, troublesome, incredible best friend. So please stop being mad about whatever is bothering you, and talk to me like we always do."

I looked into her amber eyes, a determined, powerful fire flaring in their depths. Brynn pouted a little bit, which made my heart clench. I knew I couldn't go a day without her, either, I mean, she's my best friend.

I decided not to take offense to what had happened earlier, and gave Brynn one of my classic smirks. "Fine, I'll stay." I muttered, and Brynn smiled happily, pulling me into a hug.

She rested her cheek against my chest, and I tried not to shout in surprise. Brynn isn't exactly known for being a touchy-feely person. At all. And here she was, hugging me like we hugged each other all the time.

"Good," Brynn said into my shirt, her voice muffled," We work better together. You and I? We are a team. If we're gonna survive New York, we're gonna do it together, no matter what. And you know why, Zac King?"

"Why?" I asked, as she pulled away enough to look into my eyes.

"Because together, if we really put our minds to it, we are unstoppable." She replied. As I looked into Brynn's beautiful, vibrant eyes, I knew deep down that what she was saying was probably the most honest thing I'd heard in a long time.

Little did we know, that someone in the near future would really put that claim to the test.


	3. Chapter 3: Brynn - Forks and Foes

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 **Sorry that I'm keeping you from reading the next chapter, guys, but I have a few things to say first. I updated the first and second chapters, so there may be some things in this chapter that confuses you. If you have any questions about the content of the chapters, PM or comment, and I'll try and get back to all of you. Which leads to the other thing I had to say.**

 **I have been trying to keep up with updates, but I play at the top level of travel soccer, and am going different places 24/7. I'll be flying to all these different states just to play one game, and then to another one to play for my second game in the same weekend. Then, I have to go school in the morning, with all my homework, projects, and assignments done.**

 **Updates are going to take a little bit longer to be posted, but there won't be any month long gaps between chapters. If you think there needs to be an update, or I'm taking too long to make another chapter, just message me. I'll try my best to keep up, but I WILL NOT be giving up on this story. Okay, done with the boring stuff, and on with the next chapter…**

 **!**

Exams the next day were torture. The words seemed to float off the page, and fly right out the window, as I tried to pass my test. I could tell from Zac's expression across the room that he was experiencing the same thing. Both of us have ADHD and dyslexia, which are just two of the creepy similarities Mom convinced us are completely normal.

Mom had a lot of explanations for my weird habits and instincts, but none of them really make any sense. Zac has a lot of the same weird hobbies and tendencies as I do, which can't be purely coincidental. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an overly superstitious person, but some things just don't line up.

I trust my mom completely, but there's something about Zac and I that is different from everyone else. I plan on figuring it out...as soon as I finish exams.

Before school started, sometime in the morning, I decided to go out again. Wearing a gray sweatshirt and black sweatpants, I walked through New York, the noise and traffic significantly worse from adults trying to get to work. The sidewalks were more crowded too, with wealthier people walking along the road to their jobs. It was a perfect time to get robbed.

Almost immediately, I found a guy beating up some teenager who looked to work at Walmart, or some supermarket-ish place. The boy seemed to be a cashier type of person, which means that he doesn't make a lot of money, over all. Nonetheless, he was getting pounded on by the older guy, who was probably in his forties, and hungover.

I could pick up that the mugger was definitely single from the way he dressed, and that he probably lived in a crappy apartment he can barely pay the rent for. I had interfered, and left the mugger guy on the empty side street, not bothering to call the police. Some people are just not worth it.

Less than a half hour after that, I saved a pretty, fit, teenage girl from some college guys.

She had a delicate face, with perfect pale features, and looked to be a few years older than me. She had extremely light, platinum blonde hair and pretty pale green eyes, so the girl wasn't exactly easy to ignore, either.

She walked the streets of New York confidently, not bothering to try and hide her attractive face. She had no makeup on, and didn't wear overly revealing clothes, either. The girl had this original, clean, natural beauty, an assertive attitude, and was in no way artificial. Looking at her was like taking a breath of fresh air.

In a way, I envied the teen's menacing aura, fearless gaze, and confident presence more than her prettiness. She looked like someone you wouldn't dare mess with, if your life depended on it.

However, I knew that certain guys wouldn't care how intimidating she looked, and would go after her, anyway, since guys have strange logic. I decided to follow her, knowing that she would end up in some sort of trouble, one way or another.

The girl walked in a very composed manner, as if she knew the consequences of walking the streets in a pair of form fitting jeans, and just didn't care. In quiet celebration, I thanked the gods that I'd finally found a beautiful female that thieves, kidnappers, and all around creeps wouldn't want to bother. If I was a single male, I would admire, but not go anywhere near that teenager.

Still, it was not a surprise when I passed some college looking guys that were talking about her. I also wasn't surprised, unfortunately, when I heard them planning to capture her, and do something that made me shiver in disgust. It was the main fear of every somewhat attractive girl in the city, and I wasn't about to let it become hers.

I saw the teenage girl turn left, down a more deserted sidewalk, and I followed casually, walking somewhat close to the college men, so I wouldn't be suspicious. The three males followed behind her like idiots, laughing harshly on certain occasions about things I don't want to ever have to mention.

The people passing us slowly thinned to a small trickle, until no one passed at all. I had no idea why the teenage girl was walking this way, since there didn't seem to be any stores, schools, or work buildings where we were heading, but I didn't wait around to figure it out.

I suppose she could be going to see someone, but from the way she held herself as she walked, I don't think she was going for a friendly visit. The college men started getting closer, and I saw the teen stiffen, even though she didn't look back to see what they were doing so close.

I increased my pace, and caught up with the girl. I acted as if I was going to pass her, but deliberately slowed down, sensing that something was about to happen. As soon as I saw one guy reach to pull her by the hair, I stopped and pushed her out of the way.

The girl shouted out angrily, rolling onto her feet with fists raised. I didn't have time to waste, however, so I didn't stop to marvel at her agile landing. It was almost identical to the duck and roll Mom had taught me, but I didn't just stand and stare, like most people would. Instead, I lashed out, swinging my left fist, so that I connected with the first guy's gut.

He puffed out air, hunching over to catch his breath. I kneed him in the stomach, again, making him stumble to the ground, gagging. Warning signals went off, as another college guy swung a right hook at the back of my head.

I ducked easily, and dodged his follow up kick to my back. I turned to him, as he doubled down on me with his other friend.

They blocked my view of the girl, who was still crouched in a fighting stance, and then got way too close to me. I almost tripped over the breathless guy, who was still on the pavement, as I backed up in false uncertainty.

I almost laughed at the one in front of me, seeing his cocky grin. The man thought that they had the advantage here, two versus one.

He was ready for a beat down, and then to use the poor teenage girl as a reward for crushing the person who'd gotten in his way. The guy had no idea what damage I could do if I used my full potential, and I didn't intend on letting him know till it was too late.

It was kind of sad having to beat people up daily, no matter what the crime they committed was. It's never the most amazing thing in the world knowing that you caused somebody harm.

However, knowing that you saved someone from being hurt, and possibly even death, is the best feeling you could ever get. Fighting is a part of me, and I have no idea what I'd do without the need to challenge everything and everyone who dares to hurt another.

I am definitely not your average fifteen year old girl, but I am who I am, and I can't change that. All I can do is be the best me I can be, starting with rescuing anyone who needs the help. Sometimes, the victims aren't the only ones who need saving.

I had given all of them a fair warning before I actually started fighting, but they just threatened me more, and told me that the girl belonged to them.

I had just shrugged, and as time slowed down, my fist flew forward. I had decided to start with the biggest guys out of the two, and knocked him out in one punch to the head. He didn't even see it coming, and neither did his overly confident friend.

I blocked the other guy's jab at my gut, as he seemingly remembered what was going on, and tried to catch me off guard. I kicked him in the back of his knee, and he crumbled to the cement. I pressed a finger on one of his pressure points, what I do when I do when I don't feel like punching someone's lights out, and the boy was unconscious instantly.

I could finally see where the girl had been standing, now that the two guys originally blocking my way were on the floor. Pulling my hood a little farther over my face, I turned to help the girl to her feet, and check to see if she was okay.

Except she wasn't there.

I turned around to look for her, and, suddenly, came face to face with the third guy. The one who I'd left wheezing on the pavement, and forgot all about. He was about to punch me in the nose, which I would've dodged anyway, when a pale hand wrapped around his wrist.

The hand yanked the guy back, so that he landed hard on his spine. His head bounced against the sidewalk, and he went unconscious immediately. I stared in surprise, now realizing where the teen had gone. I nodded gratefully, looking with immense respect at the teenage girl standing in front of me, her arm still raised from throwing the asshole away from us.

She was giving me a half smile, which I could tell was a rare thing for her to do, and I grinned back. I took off my hood, asking if she was alright, and the girl nodded simply, putting out her hand to shake mine. She acted as if she was used to what had just happened. I was and wasn't surprised at the same time.

Looking at her outstretched hand, I wondered if this was what it felt like for the people I saved each day. I was a little wary after she threw that guy like a rag doll, but I didn't get any initial feelings of danger, and met her green eyes.

I looked at her for a minute or two, before I took the girl's callused hand, and shook it firmly. I took notice of her surprisingly strong grip, and matched it. She told me in a strong, authoritative voice that her name was Lina, and I told her my name, careful not to give any more information than that.

Then, I remembered that Lina had almost just been _you-know-what_ , and that she may be injured.

After checking that she didn't have any serious bruises or scrapes, I gave her a once over. She had a strong build, and her eyes hinted at incredible intelligence. She seemed to almost command attention and respect, and I was all too willing to oblige. I had no doubt that Lina was a warrior, and didn't like being pitied or fawned over, though. I didn't either, so I couldn't really blame her.

I asked if she was okay once, and when Lina replied yes, I didn't doubt her honesty, and just nodded thoughtfully at the curiously strong girl. I told her to make sure to get her few cuts disinfected, and wished her luck wherever she was going.

Lina tried to say something to me, but I ran away before she could finish, putting my hood back up. I'd run out of self preservation and caution, since no victim had ever help me save themselves, but wished immediately that I had stayed to hear what she said.

Even when I think about it now, it doesn't make sense, but, sometimes, you just can't tell who's the prey, and who's the predator. All I could really do was run, as far away as possible, leaving Lina to wonder who I, the strange, closed off girl, who attempted to save her when she didn't need any apparent saving, was.

I hadn't even gotten to training yet, and my day was already taking twists and turns that I wouldn't expect to happen in a million years. My life isn't exactly a consistent, perfect life. At all. However, you'll just never get used to saving someone who didn't _really_ need the help.

I had trained after that, dreading exams the whole time. I knew that my disorders would give me trouble, especially in the longer, writing based tests. I could barely keep myself from walking to the office, and requesting a person to read the test for me.

Also, I knew that Lina would be a big distraction, with me wondering about her agility, strength, and curiously intimidating presence all day. I was not ready to frustrate the hell out of myself during testing, and wished I could escape Yancy for the day, or at least first period.

But if I was going to give my best, it was going to be my _very_ best, so I had to step up my game. There will be many things I can't control, but effort will always be something that's up to me, and I intend to use that to it's full extent.

O.o.O

After a grueling four hours of exams, we had a lunch break. An hour was given per class, and we had seven, so everyone was a little bit over halfway done with our second to last day of school. Technically this was our last day, since no one has to do any actual work tomorrow, but as long as we're on campus, we're stuck here in Yancy. Let's just say that all of us were looking forward to a little bit of freedom, and were pretty much done with exams.

I still felt stiff from sitting at a desk all day, and desperately needed to go out and just run. I had trained extra hard earlier in the morning, knowing that I'd be stuck in a classroom all day, but I was starting to slightly regret all that hard work.

It had worked out the first two class periods, making me feel fresh, and well stretched. I felt great, until that cursed third period class. Third rolled around, and, all of a sudden, I started feeling sore, fatigued, and, over all, like I died and came back just to finish exams.

Fourth wasn't _as_ bad, since I'd been able to walk to class, and soothe the aches in my muscles a bit. However, I had to do the language arts exam in fourth, and that was basically _all_ reading and writing, which pushed my brain to the point of near explosion.

I was just grateful I'd made it to lunch. If I could survive long enough to eat, I could make it through the rest of the day. Then, I would have one last day of school, to pack up, clear out my dorm, get picked up, and leave for home. Summer was so worth the wait, as long as I didn't pass out before seventh period.

"Hey." Zac whispered, as he sat next to me at our table.

Our seat was in the corner, right under a large window, so light shone right onto it like a spotlight. Our table was the most beloved area in the cafeteria, but everyone was too intimidated by us to actually try and sit at the mostly empty table.

"Hay is for horses, Weatherman. You don't seem like you would make a good farm boy, so I suggest you stick to 'sup."

"You are so weird. And yes, I would make a good farm boy. Just _look_ at these muscles." Zac laughed, flexing, and I grinned back at him.

"I can't look at muscles you don't have, Zac." I teased, moving so that Zac could sit next to me, with his tray of disgusting artificial food. I had to eat it too, but I always just got a salad, fries, or pizza. Those are the only cafeteria foods that aren't completely disgusting, and most likely fake.

"I work out with you _every_ morning! I'm not just naturally ripped, you know. It takes lots of hard work to be this incredibly, amazingly attractive, Brynn. Really, do you not see all the girls swooning right now?" Zac replied,shoving me, playfully. I barely budged.

"Again, I can't look at things that are not there, Zac." I smirked, knowing very well that there was an abundance of girls drooling at him from across the cafeteria.

"Oh, there's plenty there." Zac said, winking at one girl from another table.

The blonde and her friends erupted into giggles, looking away from us, even though it was obvious they were checking him out through the corner of their eyes. "Really, Zac? You had to give those poor girls a _wink_?" I rolled my eyes at him, snickering at the girls' obvious interest, that they were failing miserably at hiding.

"They're practically choking on their astonishingly high pitched giggles. You better not blow a kiss, or smirk at them. If you do, you're gonna give them heart failure, or something."

"If I blow a kiss, Brynn, that means I'm going all out. They would go into a coma from all the sexy." Zac replied, grinning evilly at me, taking a bite from his weird, grayish colored burger.

"Yeah, okay." I rolled my eyes, again, and whipped a fry into my mouth, marveling at how good the fries tasted in comparison to almost everything else.

"Is Zac talking about his nonexistent six-pack again?" Zac's roommate, Blake, asked teasingly, as he sat down next to us at our table.

Blake is the only boy at Yancy who can somewhat tolerate Zac, and they became friends after a month or two of being roommates. Blake has had a really big crush on me since I came to Yancy, but I don't really mind, since he's one of the few people I can have an actual conversation with.

Because Zac and I can both accept Blake and his wiseass humor, we agreed that we could let him hang around. Zac knows about Blake's crush, but always gets stiff and uncomfortable when I talk to him about Blake liking me, so I usually don't bring it up.

"See? Blake agrees with me." I teased, moving so that Blake could sit next to me at our empty table. I pretended not to notice his eagerness at sitting beside me, and started to make small talk about exams.

Blake was only half an inch taller than me, so it was nice not having to strain my neck, like when l to speak to Zac, who is already five foot ten and a half. Blake talked excitedly, his brown eyes flashing, as he told me a story about a kid losing his entire history test somehow in Blake's third period. A school for troubled children never ceases to surprise you.

I started out actually engaged in the conversation, I really did. Patience is one of the virtues I've worked hard to achieve, and, truthfully, I was somewhat interested in what Blake had to say. However, it's kinda hard to pay attention to someone, when it feels as if a cold bucket of water was just dumped over your head in the middle of lunch.

"Crap, what happened to the air conditioning? I mean, it's not exactly cold, but something just feels weird." I said, shivering slightly.

"What do you mean? The air conditioning is the same as it was yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that…" Blake trailed off, looking at my goosebump covered arms. "Here, do you want my jacket, or something, I'm not that col-" Blake was cut off by a girl screaming, and pointing at the window right above our table. A sickly green colored eye, the size of my fist, was peering through the clear glass, staring right at me.

"Oh my gods..." I whispered, holding the edge of the lunch table in a death grip. Zac immediately put a hand on my shoulder, most likely to reassure himself that he wasn't dreaming.

"What the _fuck_ is that?!" Blake exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. He started rubbing at his eyes rapidly, as if when he took his hands away, the eye would disappear.

I knew Blake would be sorely disappointed when the eye blinked, and looked around at the cafeteria full of hysterical teenagers. There was _no_ way that thing could be fake, but there was also no way that thing could be real.

Girls and guys alike were shouting and screeching in frightened voices, and almost everyone was running around the cafeteria, looking for somewhere to hide. Even a few of the teachers assigned to look after us during lunch time were hiding in the kitchen. Some people were crying, some people were fainting, and some were praying, but everyone looked like they were about to throw up at the sight of the unnaturally large man looking thing outside.

I inhaled deeply, toning out the sounds of my screaming peers, briefly. I tried to imagine the best method of escape, without anyone getting hurt.

Slowly, I was filled with this strange sensation, like fear and adrenaline on steroids. My body tingled and, although I didn't have a plan, I knew that I needed to stop the tragedy we all knew was coming.

I looked around for something to protect myself with, ignoring Blake and Zac's avalanche of curses, as the eye was replaced by a hand too big to be human. The window shattered, and I ducked as glass rained down on the Mess Hall.

When I stood again, the large hand started to reach through the open gash in the window. It threw a nearby table, the large table crashing into the doors of the Mess Hall, loudly. People dove out of the way, some lucky enough to miss the table, some not. A lot of the teens and teachers ran to the kitchen to hide, but there was still more than half of us out in the open.

The big wooden doors didn't cave after being hit, however, and some of the ceiling fell from above, as if to make up for the little damage the table caused to our exit. As the debris rained down, a chunk fell and hit me in the shoulder. My shoulder made a pop sound, and a searing pain started to seep through my arm, all the way down my back.

I gasped raggedly, trying to pull Zac and Blake away from the window with my good arm, before the huge thing decided to take our table, too. Its hand jammed through the broken window, again, the palm about the size of my head. It swiped, and I pulled Zac and Blake to the ground.

To my absolute horror, my hand slipped off Blake's bicep, as we dropped to the floor. "NO!" Zac shouted, as Blake was smacked across the room with a few other screaming teenagers. I screamed as he hit the wall with a sickening thud, along with the bodies of my fellow classmates, and I exhaled in shock.

I stayed on the dirty floor with Zac for a few moments, grief washing over me. You didn't need to check their pulse to know that they were dead. "Shit, shit...fuck, Brynn, what just happened?" Zac asked, running his hands through his hair in a stressed, confused, and upset manner.

I didn't answer, as we crawled near an overturned table. To our horror, the giant's hand reached out again, and I started to curse, looking for anything I could possibly use to protect us.

A light bulb went off in my head, I took a nearby metal fork, and stabbed at the giant's grasping fingers. It roared, making more broken glass tumble from the window onto our heads. "Zac, RUN!" I screamed through my gasps of pain, as the huge man-thing broke through the wall of the school, flinging a crap load of bricks, concrete, and debris at us.

I pushed Zac out of the way, before a piece of the wall hit him in the back, ignoring the sensation of intense pain in my shoulder. I quickly pulled him under a different table, knowing that Zac was on auto-pilot after all the impossible things we'd seen. There was running, screaming teens everywhere, most of them crowding at the door to the cafeteria. The table that had been thrown with the wall was blocking the exit, though, and the door wouldn't budge, causing a huge amount of people to be standing vulnerable in plain sight.

I tried not to cry out as the giant grabbed a handful of Yancy students, and flung them away from the door. I sat and watched as even more kids were thrown into walls, tables, and other children. I'd known some of those people for years, and that creature just threw them aside like trash. I shook my head in anger and fear, knowing that I had to do something. I slipped out from under the table, motioning for Zac to stay hidden, and crept along the tile floor.

It started to pour outside, and the rain pelted down on us through the missing wall. Lightning flashed, and the light helped me recognize Zac's soggy gray burger from our debris covered table. I got up swiftly and grabbed it, not knowing anything else in the cafeteria that could possibly be harder than that. Using all my strength, I threw it at the back of the beasts head. It made contact with a sickly thunk, and I grimaced as the overly muscled creature tensed, growling.

He turned, and I caught a glimpse of his disgusting green eyes, dark, tangled hair, and sharper-than-normal teeth that were spotted with what looked like blood. He loomed over me, darkly, and I knew then that the monster was a giant. My mother had told me enough stories for me to know that this creature was not normal in the least. My blood boiled, as i felt a flash of anger towards the very being that had caused some of my fellow students to never see their sixteenth birthday.

He swung a fist at me, snarling like a rabid animal, and I ducked out of the monstrosity's reach. I threw a tray at him, a small fruit bowl hitting him in the right eye, as I moved again, closer to Zac.

The giant made a completely inhuman screech, and went to touch his increasingly red eyeball.

"Zac," I hissed, "Get out from under the table, and get me a sword from the shed by the track field. The same exact swords we use to train everyday, alright? Nothing more, nothing less. Run! Quickly, Zac!"

Zac nodded, looking at me in concern for a few moments, before scurrying out of his hiding place. He grabbed a piece of ceiling, preparing to break a window, when a hand wrapped around his ankle. Zac shouted in alarm, and was yanked upside down by the giant.

His eyes went wide as the monster held Zac up, and roared in his ear. One of its eyes were bloodshot, from me hitting it, but the other was practically red, anyway, from fury. The thing shook Zac up and down, making his head go crimson from all the blood draining from his feet.

When the giant seemed bored of playing with Zac, he took a sniff, and grunted out, "Demigod blood. _Yummy_ demigod blood." His lips twisted into the most evil grin I'd ever seen, and he dangled Zac over his wide open mouth.

Red clouded my vision, as I realized that the monster before me was going to eat my best friend. I reached out for something to fight with, and found another fork near a tipped-over table. Turning towards the creature about to devour Zac, I glared the most hateful stare I could muster. It seemed to like playing with Zac, delaying dropping him in its mouth to build Zac's fear.

As my anger and hatred grew, I couldn't hold back my intense need to make that giant know that he messed with the wrong people. I screamed out a war cry that made even my toes curl, and flung a fork at his eye, hoping to cause the monster the same pain he felt before.

I missed, although I should have expected that by using my bad shoulder. Instead, the fork landed in his wide open jaw, disappearing into his mouth. It went straight down his throat, and the giant immediately dropped Zac on the floor. I guess that works too, I thought, watching the monster grasp at its neck.

Zac landed hard with a thud on the cracked concrete floors of the cafeteria, moaning loudly in pain. I flinched, as his side connected with the hard cafeteria flooring, but quickly turned back to the giant. The creature's face turned to a deep red, and then purple, and I realized that it was choking on the fork.

I didn't know if you could kill a giant by making it choke to death, and I didn't want to take any chances, so I grabbed a leftover chunk of the wall (this time I actually was smart and used my good shoulder), and chucked it at the monster.

This time, my throw was perfectly accurate, as normal, and it hit the giant square in the head.

It fell to the ground, and started to thrash about, it's face turning an even deeper purple. I went up to the giant, grabbing a stray brick from the floor for good measure. I stood close enough to hear anything the giant had to say, but not close enough to be reached.

It swiveled its ugly face towards me, and barely wheezed out, "I will eat you, Demigod."

"I'd like to see you try." I snarled back, throwing the brick at his face. As soon as the brick touched the monster, it exploded into a yellowish dust that got all in my hair and clothes.

I collapsed as soon as the thing was gone, grasping at my bruised side. I didn't even want to touch my shoulder. I took a deep, painful breath, got up, and limped over to Zac, who was still groaning on the floor.

"Zac, it's Brynn, I'm right here. C'mon, try and look at me, Zac, you need to get up. I know it hurts, but we _really_ need to get out of here."

When Zac had two unsuccessful attempts at standing, I put his arm over my shoulders, and dragged him up. I knew that I would be able to carry Zac for a little while if I had to, but I was tired too, and needed some carrying myself.

I was about to go check to see what had happened to all the students that had been left, or thrown away from the giant, when the Mess Hall doors were knocked open. The table blocking them was chucked into the opposite wall, and the doors flew off their hinges, as a huge white van barreled into the cafeteria.

An extremely attractive boy with perfect, blonde hair flung open both back doors of the van, and the car skidded to a stop beside us. "Get in!" He ordered, taking Zac from me, so that I really didn't have a choice.

I hesitated for a moment, looking back at the mess I'd left behind me, before leaping into the van full of strangers. The boy tossed me somewhere up near the front seats, and I slid across the back of the van. The back was huge, and I was surprised how much room there was in that one car.

I was about to ask who these people were, what they were doing at my school, and how they found us, when the two back doors were slammed shut by a dark haired girl that hadn't been sitting just seconds before. Before a damn word could come out of my mouth, the car sped out of the Mess Hall faster than a van that size could possibly ever go.

We practically flew out of Yancy, and I started to worry about where we were going. I thought about my mother, and how she would worry if I went missing without so much as a letter home. I was about to tell the van full of teenagers how badly I needed to go home, when the van suddenly hit a bump. I flew off the floor of the car, hit the ceiling with my already pounding head, and everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4: Brynn - Restless

**!**

 **Sorry for the interruption, but I have something really important to say! I'm changing the rating from T to M because of future battles, language, and gore. There will be no sexual activity, that's a promise, but there may be some suggestive content. Hopefully, the change in rating won't dissuade any readers, but I felt that I needed to be honest about what's to come! Now, on with the chapter…**

 **!**

 _It was my eighth birthday, and I was beaming at my mother as she handed me a new, shining wooden sword. I had always used a dull, scratched one from the basement, that was too big for my small hands. I had no idea where it came from, or why it was so worn down, but all I really cared about was how it didn't feel quite right at my fingertips._

 _Now, I had a beautiful, glistening sword that fit fairly well in my soft, slightly callused palms. I knew in the back of my head that it wouldn't be the best sword I'd ever use, but I just cared that it fit into my little fingers._

" _Thank you, Mommy." I whispered, running my hand along the flat of the blade. I inhaled the scent of the new sword, like a normal kid would a new shoe, and smiled brightly._

 _Zac grinned happily from his seat at our dining table, watching me gaze at the wood lovingly. He would have been adoring it with me, if not for the sprained ankle I'd given him the other day, during training._

 _Ever since Zac had stumbled on our doorstep two years ago, in the midst of a raging storm, we'd been best friends. I had given him a homemade chocolate chip cookie, and my favorite blanket to dry off in (since he had looked like a drowned rat), and from then on, we've been inseparable._

 _Once Zac had learned that I was working to become a hero, he started training with us, everyday. I was so happy to have a friend my age who was interested in the same things I was. Whenever I asked about how his mother let him just disappear every morning, he would go quiet, so I wouldn't bring it up, knowing that if I lost Zac, I would be on my own._

 _The things we had in common were endless, but it was obvious that we had very different families. Both of our fathers had abandoned us, but at least I had a mother who loved me, and let me know on a daily basis._

 _Zac's mom didn't even care if he was gone for more than five hours a day, with some stranger, somewhere not very close to his house. I'd never had the nerve to ask why he'd been at our door in the first place, but I had a feeling that Zac's mother wasn't the best, most loving parent in the world._

 _The only family member he would speak to me about was his older cousin, Christina. Her parents had basically dumped her on Zac's mother when she was a toddler, and never came back. I knew for a fact that Christina didn't like Zac's mom any more than he did, but she didn't have anywhere else to go._

 _Also, from the way Zac talked about her, I knew that she wouldn't just leave him alone with that woman. It reassured me a little bit knowing that he had at least some family that loved him._

" _I'm sorry that I gave you a sprained ankle, Zac. I didn't mean to go too hard on you, I know that you really would rather be running outside."_

" _It's okay." Zac said, with a shrug._

" _But it's not," I argued, "You have to keep your foot up on that pillow all day if you want to train tomorrow, and it's obviously bothering you."_

" _Nah, I'm fine." Zac replied, shrugging again, nonchalantly._

" _I know, you're totally bored, just watching while I open presents," I mumbled, not really listening to what he had said, " We should try teaching you to use a weapon that you can use while sitting down."_

 _Mom suggested archery, since she (for some reason that I really didn't want to know) had a bow and arrow in the basement. She gave it to Zac, and he looked at the expertly crafted, sturdy, wooden bow. My mother gave him a practice arrow with a soft tip, so that it wouldn't break or injure anything, and he drew the bow._

 _That afternoon, we learned that Zac should stick to a sword._

All of a sudden, the memory ended. I awoke with a start, shooting up into a sitting position on the cot I'd been sleeping on. Five people at the edge of my bed turned to look at me in surprise, obviously in the middle of a conversation.

I was breathing hard, remembering being practically kidnapped by the blonde kid sitting on my feet. I wasn't sure if he knew that he was sitting on me, or if he just didn't care. I sort of remembered the dark haired girl standing politely next to my bed, but her bright, encouraging smile didn't match the grim expression she wore yesterday.

I didn't really know any of the people by my bedside, and I was starting to get nervous looking at them. No one spoke, as we just stared uncomfortably at each other. I didn't know where I was, I had strangers pretty much sitting on me, and all of them had weapons on them... _wait_.

I started calculating all the ways to escape, peering suspiciously at the assortment of daggers, swords, and spears at their sides. And let me tell you, they were _definitely_ the real thing. Just looking at them made my wooden swords look like child's play. Please, they made _regular_ weapons look like play toys. All of them practically glowed, with razor sharp edges that foreshadowed a brutal battle.

The teenagers all wore necklaces around their necks, each having a small variety beads and charms on them. Although they seemed to be my age, every single one of them had muscles that took years and years to gain. I would know.

At least two of them wore faded, orange t-shirts that read 'Camp Half-Blood'. I didn't know what that was, but I was starting to wonder where _I_ was. I locked eyes with one of the guys, recognizing him as the one from the van, the blonde one that took Zac from me. We stared at each other, me assessing him, while he just...appreciated, I guess. No one spoke for quite some time, although the silence was more tense than awkward.

A dark haired girl was the first to stop staring, and smiled brightly at me, her perfect, white teeth showing. Although it most likely wasn't her intention, I immediately took her action as a show of dominance. My stare at the intruders quickly morphed into a gaze full of suspicion and determination to bust out of this hospital ward type place.

My eyes went right back to the muscular blonde guy, who just glared back at me, his warm, brown eyes instantly hardening. I gulped, realizing quickly that I was going to need water, as my throat was extremely dry.

Almost as if she read my mind, a girl that looked identical to the wavy haired, blonde boy, handed me a glass of some amber liquid. I looked at it quizzically, not trusting the substance that was inside my cup. The girl just shook her head, taking the drink from my hands, and pressing it to my lips. She tipped it back, forcing me to take a tiny sip of whatever was in that glass.

I swallowed after allowing the liquid to settle in my mouth, fairly convinced that it wasn't poisoned or drugged. Immediately, my mouth warmed. The amber drink seemed to tingle as it trickled down my once scratchy throat.

My throat instantly felt smooth and clear, almost as if I had just sipped a liquid hug. It even tasted like the homemade cookies my mom used to make once a month. Mom says that she made them to celebrate all the work we'd done, and all the progress I'd made, and I would love sharing them with her on a rainy day.

"Who-who are you? What did you just make me drink?" I whispered, not even having to clear my throat.

I started to really wake up, when I realized that the amber liquid shouldn't have made me feel that much better in such a short time. And just to add to that, there's no logical way that it tasted exactly like my mother's cookies.

"Relax." The blonde girl said, as she put the glass on a small wooden table at the end of the cot.

" _Who_ are you?" I repeated, starting to inch away from them.

"Hey, it's okay. We're not going to hurt you, we promise." The identical blonde haired boy said, elbowing the girl, and making everyone put their weapons away.

"Where am I? How did I get here? Where's my mother? Where's _Zac_? And why aren't you people answering my questions?" I spouted, starting to get in a defensive position. I didn't know these people, and they had practically kidnapped me back at Yancy. Hell, I didn't even know if Yancy was still standing after that giant.

"I know you have a lot of questions, and we will answer them. I'm sorry my annoying twin sister, Bailey, practically forced you to drink that nectar, but it'll make you feel better. We just want to keep you safe, okay?" The boy answered, his brown eyes glowing with warmth and honesty, despite the tough glare he had trained on me. In his defense, I was the first one to sharpen my gaze, but still.

"First of all, I'm not annoying, and second of all, we have somewhere to be, Derek." Bailey turned and addressed me, an even harsher look than Derek's in her not-so-warm brown eyes. "We have someone who needs to talk to you."

I instantly shot down the idea, shaking my head rapidly. I wasn't going anywhere with anybody until I knew where I was, where Zac was, and where the exit was.

Bailey saw my immediate disapproval, and frowned. "I know, you probably don't want to go anywhere with us. I wouldn't if I was you. But, I promise, we really need you to meet this man. He will have answers. You can only get those answers, however, if you get your ass up and move."

" _Bailey!_ " A gorgeous girl with straight red hair hissed, her clear blue eyes shooting daggers at the twin. It was obvious that they thought I was fragile and incompetent.

Bailey just glared back at her, before turning to speak to me again. "I'm sorry that you were unconscious for three days, I really am, but your boyfriend got even worse than you. You need to get over yourself, and take a risk."

" _What?_ _Three days?!_ And I don't have a boyfriend…"

"Your friend, the blonde dude that you were carrying around like a sack of potatoes back at the cafeteria in Yancy. The one that looks like an escaped Hollister model." The dark haired girl explained, smiling tentatively. The redhead nodded encouragingly, their brilliant white smiles blinding me.

I looked away, and answered, "Wait, if you're talking about Zac, I need to see him now. Is he okay? And that...that giant..." I wove my fingers through my hair, my mind racing. A blue eyed guy that hadn't spoken at all yet stood to the side, gazing at me sympathetically.

"Really, you got the better end on the injury deal, getting away with a critically sprained ankle, a severely dislocated shoulder, and a fairly average concussion," Bailey ignored me, continuing to speak, "I know you would much rather stay here and try to find a way to escape, but I wasn't lying about getting your questions answered. I suggest you come with us, Brynn, 'cause the person you're about to meet may just say something that you're looking to hear."

"She's speaking the truth." The dark haired, blue eyed boy whispered, his voice so quiet that I didn't know if he actually spoke.

"I...okay, but you need to promise to let me see Zac after. And, then, you need to promise to tell me where my mother is, and if she knows where I am. When I ask questions, I expect them to be answered." I replied, starting to get out of the bed.

"Deal." Derek cut in, with a smile, lending me a hand. I ignored him, and got up by myself. I didn't know where I was, who these people were, or what was happening. But I did know that I would not show weakness.

I stepped outside the clinic-like place, defiantly, and immediately pinched myself. What I was seeing couldn't be real.

I must be in paradise, I thought, as I stared at the outside world. Kids from age seven, to age seventeen, were battling on a field in a large clearing not too far ahead of me. All were wearing armor, and using swords just as menacing as the ones my five escorts had. I'd never seen anything like it.

People were shooting arrows to our right, hitting the target every single time, using focus and precision I didn't know was possible. I saw children chasing other children, racing faster than what most people would consider normal, through the forest that seemed to surround us.

"Am I dead?" I asked Derek, quietly. "Is this heaven?"

He laughed, finding my question very amusing for some reason. "No, not at all. You are very much alive." Derek replied, grinning at me like we had an inside joke that nobody else shared. He probably didn't even know my last name, so I didn't know why he was acting so friendly, or why he had stared at me so appraisingly before we started our agitated staring contest.

"I don't know what's going on here, but I do know that it is definitely not normal for seven year olds to be sparring with real swords." Even mine were wooden as a child, I thought, watching the tiny children battle like they fought everyday.

"No, it's not normal, at all." Derek stated, smiling affectionately at the people fighting in front of him, as if there was no place he'd rather be. "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood."

"Yeah, okay." I mumbled, walking ahead of him. I knew I should've focused more on the orange camp t-shirts two of my kidnappers wore. I turned my head, one last time, looking at the fighting teens, who were campers, apparently. After getting my fill of the activity around us, I let Derek lead me through the forest to receive some answers.

If I had my thoughts straight, I probably would have elbowed Derek in the gut, and ran. With all the campers surrounding us, I wouldn't get very far, but still, I should have somewhat wanted to run away. However, I felt absolutely no desire to escape from the miracle place I was in. I almost felt...home. And it scared me.

"You guys need to walk faster, you know. If this person is as almighty as he sounds, I assume he won't be happy if I'm late. I already look bad enough…" I trailed off, looking at my dirty clothes that were still covered in that nasty yellow dust from the giant. I could only imagine what my hair looked like, especially after that scene in the cafeteria at Yancy, and I hoped I was presentable enough to talk to the person in charge.

None of them paid me any attention, except for Derek, his eyes sweeping over me. After he was done giving me a once over, he shook his head with a smirk and went ahead with the others.

I groaned in a whiny manner, and followed in annoyance. Maybe if I acted like a brat, they would let me go, I thought. After a few more minutes of mumbling, and a steel hard glare from Bailey, I realized that method was not going to work.

Finally, after a leisurely walk that had to be the longest seven minutes of my life, we arrived at a place that looked like a mixture between a meeting room and a rec room.

I opened the door by myself, not waiting for the others, and immediately was taken aback. I had not expected our meeting place to look like this. There were fold out chairs set around a large ping pong table, and an old Pacman arcade game was against the wall.

A leopard head was mounted up, and I swore that its eyes were following me. A man that looked to be in his early fifties sat in a wheelchair down at the farthest end of the table, a blanket folded neatly on his lap. He held himself in a way that made him seem even older and wiser, and I had a feeling that he was who I'd be speaking to.

My initial surprise grew into confusion, as I spotted a handsome, slightly pudgy man sitting across from the older guy in a chair much fancier than the other fold out ones. He wore a leopard print, almost obnoxiously colorful Hawaiian shirt, and purple running shoes that were so bright, you could see them under the table. The man's hair was so dark it was almost purple, and he had watery blue eyes that were slightly bloodshot. The stranger had a wine bottle and a Diet Coke on the table in front of him, and was flipping through some magazine with a disinterested look on his face.

"Excuse me sir, you wanted to talk to me?" I asked the wheelchair man, trying to be assertive.

"Yes, Brynn Hunter, I have been waiting for you. My name is Chiron, pleased to meet you. I am one of the staff members here at camp." The man replied, his curly hair framing his wise brown eyes.

"Do you have anything you need to say to me?" I asked, ignoring the fact that he knew my first and last name.

"I know you must have a lot of questions-" Chiron started.

"Yeah," The other guy interrupted, taking a loud sip of Diet Coke,"But, I really don't know why we should answer all of her questions if she has _so_ many. We should just get straight to the point with her. She looks like she'd understand more than her drooling, unconscious friend, and I don't care enough to sit here for an hour just to answer petty questions."

I took a deep breath, and slowly smiled at the Diet Coke guy. I saw Derek, Bailey, the redhead, and the rest of my escorts file out of the room, out of the corner of my eye. I felt a little more comfortable with them gone, but I still didn't know who these two men were.

"Are you going to say something, or what?" The man said, turning his gaze on me, after a few moments of silence. My patience was intact, but I really didn't want to sit here chit-chatting, when Zac was lying in an infirmary bed, comatose.

"Look, I have been through alot lately. A _lot_. I mean, I fought a fucking giant in the past three days, and no one has even cared enough to confirm that I'm not completely crazy. A _giant_! Those godforsaken creatures aren't even supposed to exist!" I ran a hand through my hair, pretty sure that I was coming off as insane. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself, like my mother taught me, and continued to speak.

"And to add on to all that, I have a really close friend that has been rendered unconscious for over three days, and I don't even know when he'll wake up. No one will answer my questions, and I seem to be in a place that is okay with giving children deadly weapons. I have no idea where my mother is, and she most likely is tearing down New York trying to figure out where I am. Sorry, but I'm not going to wait around for you to tell me things I already know." I finished, turning to exit the room.

Bailey stumbled away from the door as I opened it, and fell to the dirt, obviously eavesdropping on our conversation. The rest of them were sitting under the shade of a nearby tree, and all of them were looking at me like I was crazy.

They got up, but just stood there with their mouths open, looking from me to the rude man back through the open doors. "What? What did I do? You're all looking at me strangely. It's not like I just killed the President, God." I said, going to leave. The brunette girl tried to stop me and say something, but I brushed her off, and got ready to run far away.

That is, until Chiron shared the statement I have marked as the turning point in my life.

"It's gods." He corrected, suddenly, his voice carrying to wear I was standing outside the room.

His words stopped me in my tracks, and I whirled around in surprise. There was _no_ way he could've just said that, it just didn't make sense. But, then, again, nothing had been making any sense lately, so I took a risk and decided to respond.

"Ex-excuse me?" I said, turning around, and entering the room, slightly.

"The correct term, Brynn Hunter, is gods. Not singular, but plural, at least, in our case." Chiron replied.

"What the hell are you saying? Am I the only one hearing riddles?" I asked in disbelief, not even mentioning how weird it was that he knew my habit of saying gods, instead of God. All of the others just shook their heads, and looked amongst each other.

Mr. D glanced over his magazine, smirked at me as if I was a foolish child trying to join an adult conversation, and went back to looking uninterested. Chiron beckoned the twins, Derek and Bailey inside to sit with us, and added the read haired girl into my apparent support group after a few moments of extra thought.

Derek, Bailey, and the red haired girl came inside, and sat down at the table. The others just closed the door, once more, leaving us to talk. "You may want to sit down for this." The beautiful redhead whispered, gesturing to a chair at the table.

"I'm sorry, but I don't plan to be staying. I really am really done here," I tried to say,"Everything that you guys are saying doesn't add up, and all the facts that I've come to terms with make this situation seem really suspicious. I mean, my best friend is still in the so-called "camp hospital", practically in a coma, and you won't let me see him for one second. None of you will tell me where I am, or why I'm here, and I have no idea where my mother is, or if she's okay with this. I don't know any of you, at all, but you all seem to know a lot about me and Zac. Everything that has happened in this past hour doesn't make any logical sense, and all of you speak in riddles that include half truths that are based on more riddles. I want, no need, to leave this place, and go back to my house. I don't care what any of you say, at this point. _I. Want. To. Go. Home!_ "

"Brenda, if you want to survive today and see your mom and Zac, I suggest you shut up. No, this is not a threat. It's more of a warning, to be completely honest with you. Now that you're at Camp Half-Blood, anything can happen, so I hope you choose to pick the safest decision." Mr. D stated bluntly, finally doing something other than drinking Diet Coke.

I didn't know what else to do, or say, so I sat. "I am going to get straight to the point with you, okay, Brynn? I think you can handle it, but you need to keep an open mind. I will tell you unbelievable things, but I need to trust that you are going to at least listen to what I have to say." The wise looking man requested. I nodded, and kept my mouth shut.

"You are special, Brynn. More so than you may think, actually. We all are, from Dionysus here-"

"Mr. D." Dionysus interrupted, waving his hand for the other man to continue. Chiron just shook his head, and went right on speaking.

"To my very self, Chiron. We all share one common factor, and that similarity between all of us is the very thing that makes us so, so very unique. You know what this common denominator is?" Chiron asked, although I had a feeling that he would answer for me.

"Everyone at this camp has Greek roots, Brynn. Some roots are deeper than others, but we all are tied to Greece, and its culture, in some way. We all have a majority of Greek genes in us. However, our family trees are a lot more than the typical European bloodline. So much more."

I tilted my head to the side, glancing quickly at Derek, Bailey, and the redhead, to see if they were following this.

"We all are involved with the most powerful Greek entities to ever walk this very Earth, the core of all Greek heritage as we know it. Although our campers are part human, the blood in their veins runs with the same blood of extremely powerful entities. It may seem hard to figure out right now, but really, the answer is quite simple. You may have studied them at Yancy, during the ancient history portion of the trimester, am I right, Brynn?"

"I-I don't even...wait, _half_ human…and did you say something about Greek ancient history?" He nodded, the other rude guy watching me over his magazine. "You also said something about powerful Greek, um, beings?"

"Yes, I did." Chiron, replied. I tried to figure out what he was saying, trying to put logic into the facts. What is half human even supposed to mean? I usually was pretty calm, but at the moment, without Zac to calm me down, I was this close to losing it.

"But why not just say humans? You mentioned ancient Greek entities, but there isn't such thing as entities. I mean, half-blood means that we're half human, half something, but what's the other...wait, you said that we had powerful, ancient Greek roots...and that we're part human…" I stifled a gasp, coming to an impossible realization.

"Ancient Greek roots, and half humans...but that would mean...that isn't...you can't actually be serious... _no_!" I stammered, not believing what I had just heard.

Chiron smiled warmly, looking at the others for support. Bailey piped up, saying, "What Chiron is trying to say is that we are being absolutely honest with you, although common sense says that we shouldn't exist. It may seem ridiculous at first, but you will start to understand later, I promise." "You know who you are, Miss Hunter," Chiron started up again,"you know who _we_ are. It's okay to say it. We will only tell you the truth."

I blinked rapidly, trying to wake up from the nightmare I was in. When I realized that there was going to be no wake up call, I shook my head, not able to process what just happened. He simply could not be trying to tell me that I'm...I'm a..."I'm a child of a-of a _god_?"

o.O.o

" _NO, I DON'T WANT ANYMORE AMBROSIA!_ " I shouted, pulling the pillow of my cot over my head, once more. The redheaded girl, named Daniella, or Danni, had been trying to feed me some since I'd left the meeting with Chiron and Mr. D.

"Just take one cube, Brynn, it's not that much. You want to be full strength when Zac wakes up, so that you can support him while he takes all this in. He's gonna need a lot of help understanding and accepting what he is...what _we_ are." Danni replied, leaving a few ambrosia cubes on the side table next to my bed.

I just groaned, and slammed the pillow over my face again, for extra emphasis. She sighed, and left my bedside, helping a few healers look at a wounded patient across the large structure.

Danni had suggested that I leave the Big House, before my head exploded, after I came to the conclusion that I was a half-blood. I had a suspicion that Zac was one too, or else they wouldn't have brought him to Camp Half-Blood, and it left my mind in a scrambled mess.

No one but Danni had talked to me since the meeting I'd had with Chiron and Mr. D, and I was pretty sure no one really wanted to. I didn't mind too much, since I was still in a whole lot of shock from what I had learned. Realizing that you are the child of a Greek god and that there is a camp full of children like you, in only one day, can really take a toll on your mental stability.

I was still waiting for Zac to wake up, even more so now than before, because Chiron had decided to hold off the rest of the conversation for when he woke up. Zac had slept for one more day after I met Mr. D and Chiron, and had reportedly stirred for a little while, murmuring my name, before going unresponsive again.

I missed having his humor and support, as all I did was sit in a hospital bed, until "my strength completely recovered". I had only got up to shower once, and that was with the help from Danni, who insisted that I needed her to assist me. The nectar and ambrosia had already healed me, I was sure, but they most likely didn't seem to want me out in the open just yet.

The confinement was driving me crazy, but they promised to move me to a cabin, soon, so I was content on my cot for the time being. Besides my better judgement, I reached over and took one of the ambrosia squares Danni had left. I chewed the cube, marveling at the similarity to my mother's homemade Greek gyros.

Now that I think about it, it only made sense that I was Greek. I mean, my mother sent me a letter in the middle of the school year, last year, telling me to pay extra attention to the Greek culture, language, and ancient history. Her only excuse was that it was her favorite part of history when she was my age. Other hints, like my mom and I not being overly religious, us studying little bits of different languages (a lot of the time being Greek or related to Greece), and us eating a lot of Greek food, all pointed to Greek heritage.

It hurt to know that my mother hid this from me, and I definitely had many questions to ask her. I didn't know where she was, or where I was, for that matter, so I couldn't really do anything about it. No one had given me any information on her yet, although they had promised before, so I was not only waiting for Zac, but also for Mom.

I yawned, feeling tired, although I had woken up not too long ago. Zac had been comatose for almost five days now, and despite knowing that he was going to wake up soon, I still worried. He didn't deserve to lie in bed, unconscious and in pain.

Danni had told me a little bit about monsters, and how the giant I had faced was just one of many. I was able to accept the fact that there was worse in the world, but that also meant that a lot more people would get hurt if I didn't stop them.

I was feeling guilty already, since I hadn't been able to save anyone on the streets of New York for almost a week. I didn't want any demonic creatures attacking innocent children, but I didn't want any helpless people being mugged on the streets, either.

I tugged at the oversized Camp Half-Blood shirt they gave me to wear, trying to create some sort of breeze. It was hot as hell-I mean, Hades, in the infirmary, making me want to go in the lake for a swim, although the stories of water nymphs made me cautious of taking a dip.

I heard someone approach my bedside, and I turned, not expecting Danni to have returned so fast. I muffled a gasp, as my face almost collided with the glistening abs of someone who definitely wasn't Danni. "Um...hi?" I whispered as my eyes peered up to meet Derek's.

"Hey." He responded with a grin, a sweaty Camp Half-Blood shirt draped over one shoulder. "Did you, uh, just come back from training?" I asked, trying to ignore his six (it was more like six hundred, to be honest) pack right in front of me. "Yeah." He replied, sitting on a stool by my pillow.

"What did you do? Whoop some twelve year-olds ass?" I said sarcastically, smiling back at Derek. He laughed, shaking his wavy blonde hair. Sweat sprayed everywhere, and I shielded my eyes with a chuckle. "Actually," he said, "I beat Bailey in a match of hand-to-hand combat."

"Aren't you supposed to be practicing for some sort of sword fighting tournament?" I asked, looking at him with disapproving eyes. He smirked, and replied, "Yeah I am. However, I felt like embarrassing my annoying twin sister, instead."

"You are so mean!" I gasped, teasingly. "I know." He said, grinning back at me, devilishly.

"Derek...what's the real reason you're visiting me? I don't really know anyone hear, and Danni only speaks to me because she's in charge of making sure I'm not dead. She _has_ to visit me, even if neither of us want her to. You don't even need to be with me, yet you're here now, for some reason that I can't seem to figure out. Why?"

"I can't just be a guy that wants to see his poor, injured friend-um, acquaintance?" Derek asked, quickly making up for calling me a friend, when I raised an eyebrow at him.

"No." I answered plainly, looking away from him. "Seriously, what's the real reason you're in here?"

"So I kinda cheated when I was fighting with Bailey, and she kinda got really, really mad, and she kinda wants to impale me with a sword... " Derek trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh my gods, you must have a death wish." I shook my head, sitting up so that he could see me judging him more clearly.

"I know, I know. But, seriously, can you please, _please_ help me hide from her, I'll never ask you for anything ever again! I know that we don't really know each other, but I don't want to die, and you most likely don't want to see me die either, so _please_ save me. You sorta know my sister, Bailey, and I'm pretty sure you can already tell that she's not going to let this go! So please don't make me leave, I don't want to be murdered before I go on my first quest!" Derek suddenly burst, pleading with his puppy-dog eyes for me to protect him from his twin.

"Nothing I do can save you now." I laughed, and he pouted even more at me. Slowly, we started to snicker together at the thought of Bailey searching for Derek, ready to gut him for cheating.

Our chuckles quickly turned into gasps for air, as we practically choked on our own laughter. I giggled until my stomach started to hurt, and, even then, I kept laughing.

Derek's laughs started to get louder and louder, and soon, he was falling off the stool. Derek fell onto the floor, and began grasping at his stomach to try and subside the laughter that just kept on coming. I snorted, and we both started to laugh even harder. The two of us probably would've kept on laughing, if not for Danni randomly sprinting to my bedside from the opening of the infirmary.

"Brynn, Derek, you guys need to come with me. _Now_." Danni ordered, pulling me out of the cot, urgently.

"What's going on?" I asked, in confusion, ripping my arm from her grasp. I wasn't going anywhere until I knew what had flustered Danni enough to allow me outside, when I was supposed to be "healing".

She turned with an unreadable expression, and simply whispered, "Zac's awake."

I'd never run faster in my life.


	5. Chapter 5: Zac - Only Just a Dream

_The nightmare started off as a dream._

 _I was walking under the stars, through some sort of strawberry field, talking and laughing with someone that I couldn't see. I couldn't hear anything, besides my own voice, but I knew somehow that this person was someone that I trusted, and that they were giving me the best conversation of my life._

 _The only problem was that I couldn't control what I was saying, and the whole thing was like an out of body experience. Except, I was still in my own body._

 _I felt happy, depressed, burdened, and relieved all at the same time, as I told them about my secrets, hopes, and fears. I even told them about how my mother abused me physically and mentally, and how I went to New York with my cousin Christina, without telling her. Whoever was walking next to me listened intently, never questioning me or judging me._

 _I finally came to a point in the conversation where I stopped walking, and somehow, I knew that I was about to tell this person something important. The person stopped as well, and although I couldn't see them in the dark, or hear them, I knew that they were wondering what I was doing._

 _I wished that the moon would stop casting shadows over my companion's face, so that I could actually see who I was baring my soul to. It was kind of disconcerting not being able to see the person that now knew my deepest secrets. Sighing deeply, I braced myself for whatever I was going to say next, afraid of what may come out of my mouth._

 _And then, it happened._

 _In complete shock, I finally said what I'd been wanting to say for so long, as I confessed how I felt for Brynn, from the moment she gave me that amazing cookie nine years ago, to this very moment._

 _Once I started speaking, I couldn't stop, blurting how much I cared for her, and how I always would, no matter what. I went on and on, saying all the things I admired about Brynn, until the other person was so silent I couldn't even hear them breath._

 _After a while, I reached for their arm, trying to see if they were okay. The person slipped my hand off of their arm, and, at last, turned to face me. I got a little bit closer, grasping at the chance to see who I'd been talking to all this time. I pretty much exploded as Brynn looked back at me, tears streaming down her beautiful face._

 _I didn't know what to say, dread filling my body as I realized what I had done. Not knowing how to take back what I'd said, I brought up a hand to wipe her tears. She immediately smacked it down, and I flinched as I awaited her departure from what had been the best night of my life._

 _However, I was taken by surprise, when she ran into my arms and sobbed right on my shoulder. I hadn't seen Brynn cry in a long, long time, and I wanted nothing more than for her to be able to tell me why she was crying now._

 _Suddenly, somehow, my hearing decided to come back to me at that moment, as if someone had heard my wish. I could hear everything, not just my own voice, as Brynn's soft sniffles filled the air. I inhaled her scent deeply, and rubbed her back as reassuringly as I could. I didn't know why she was holding on to me like this if I was the one who made her cry, but girls have strange logic, so I didn't question her._

 _I exhaled loudly, wanting to kick myself in the stomach for ruining things with my best friend. If I had only kept my mouth shut, Brynn wouldn't be crying right now (although there wasn't much I could do when I wasn't in control of my own body). I breathed in again, heavily, tasting the bitterness of rejection and anguish._

 _However, my self-pity immediately melted away, as I heard Brynn whisper oh-so-softly through her tears, "I love you, too."_

 _My breath caught in my throat, and I lowered my eyes to her face. I wanted to wipe her tears away, and tell Brynn how long I'd been waiting to hear that. What I saw was definitely not what I'd been expecting, though, when my eyes went to meet Brynn's once again._

 _I made a choked sound, realizing that the girl in front of me was not Brynn, at least not anymore._

 _I took a step back cautiously, and the girl followed my movements, not letting me escape. She was had long, auburn, or maybe brown, hair, but I couldn't really tell with the minimal lighting the moon gave. I peered into her eyes, and was taken aback by the absolutely furious look in her eyes._

 _The crazy girl got closer and closer to my face, until I could barely inhale, but I didn't want to move. I was legitimately afraid of what she would do. The female had an animalistic, almost savage glint in her eyes, and I realized all too late that she had a dagger in her hand. But, before the bitch could stab me, the sky faded to a blank gray._

 _The scene decided to change as quickly as it had come. The whole thing went from the greatest walk ever in history, to a crazy girl trying to kill me, to faces screaming in agony. I flinched at the mass destruction, appalled by what I was seeing. I searched madly for Brynn, or even the crazy killer lady, trying to decipher what had happened. There was no way that this was the same place I had been moments before._

 _Shouting and cursing, I tried to move, to do anything, but I couldn't leave where I was standing. I didn't know why, but I was completely stuck, forced to watch the horrors before my eyes. I twisted violently, wanting to jump in and help, but nothing could stop the war taking place in front of me._

 _The insane girl was nowhere to be found, which wasn't really a problem for me, but I still had no idea where Brynn was. People were fighting with swords, armor, and about any other weapon you could think of, but somehow, my mind was still on my best friend._

 _What had happened to the most perfect night of my life? Why couldn't I just go back to having Brynn in my arms?_

 _As I surveyed the battle, taking in everyone in their dented armor, I started to realize some stuff. I noticed things like how impossibly fast everyone was moving, how every warrior looked to be a teenager, and how no one seemed to recognize that I was there._

 _However, I stopped gazing so intently at the battle, as I found much worse details. Such as, how I knew exactly which side was bad, and which side was good. And how I still didn't know which side I would join, if I could move._

 _The intense staring shit didn't last long, however. My ADHD caused my focus to switch to a flash of gold, streaking through the fight. Its movement was almost hypnotizing and I tried to peek under the golden helmet to see who the golden person was. I shouted in alarm, as I realized it was Brynn, of all people, in the practically glowing armor._

 _I wanted to laugh and punch a brick wall at the same time, as I practically sat and watched her fight three soldiers at once. I mean, I should have expected her to be in there, fighting the hardest of them all, but seeing her in that golden armor made my mouth go dry._

 _The image of her fighting amongst the flames and destruction was probably the scariest and most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. Her fearsome amber eyes reflected determination and passion, her sword a glowing blur in the dark setting, as she parried jabs left and right._

 _One of the three men she was fighting against suddenly fell, and blood started to seep through his armor. An arrow was lodged into his side, and Brynn turned and briefly smiled at a brunette girl with dark brown eyes, holding a quiver._

 _The girl smiled back quickly, before disappearing in a wisp of gray smoke, and reappearing in a different place. I watched her for a short amount of time, in disbelief, as she fucking teleported to help her fellow soldiers._

 _Brynn just fought with twice the vigor, as if the girl vanishing wasn't unusual at all._

 _As I looked over the battlefield even closer, I noticed that strange, impossible things like disappearing into thin air were happening everywhere. A tall, blonde girl was making vines grow out of the ground, and was ensnaring her enemies in the plants. Another boy that looked no older than eight was slipping through fighter's legs, giggling and setting paint bombs that blew up on the other army._

 _I looked even farther out into the area, trying to process what I was witnessing. I saw few groups battling near the edge of the field, but there was a few of them watching and assessing the fight._

 _I couldn't tell if this was heaven or hell._

 _One rogue warrior was a person that I somehow knew was a male. He was in dark armor, and the guy's face not visible under the midnight black helmet. My heart lept into my throat as I saw him raise a medium sized spear, and felt bad for whoever his victim was going to be._

 _I turned to look where the dude was aiming, and when I realized his target, my vision went red. I shouted her name desperately, over and over, trying to warn Brynn about the bastard off at the edge of the fight, but she couldn't hear me scream._

 _I struggled against my invisible confines as I watched the spear sail through the air, and I wondered how the warrior could launch it that far. I watched helplessly as the spear penetrated her in the back of her leg, while I was shouting, and even starting to hyperventilate._

 _This can't be fucking real, I thought, grasping at my heart. A pain like no other ripped through my chest, and I fell to my knees._

 _I would do anything to go back to the walking scene I had just been in, where Brynn was hugging me, instead of falling in pain._

 _Brynn crashed to the feet of the soldier in all black armor, who somehow raced over to her from where he was standing. Shock and hatred twisted her gorgeous face, and I gulped at the look of complete loathing._

 _Instead of beating the fucker to a pulp (I would have gladly done it for her, if I could move), Brynn's lips morphed into a devious smile. I stopped shouting, confused as to what she was doing, with a merciless warrior standing over her._

 _Brynn put her hand up in a mock salute, and I gasped as she disappeared in a wisp of smoke, a mist flooding over where she had just been. It looked exactly like the smoke the other brunette made whenever she vanished from one spot to teleport to another._

 _The guy screeched in fury, as his target vanished from sight. He made another inhuman noise, throwing a fist to the ground with a deafening crack, as the dirt exploded around his hand._

 _I saw other fighters advance on him now that Brynn was gone, but they were no match for his anger._

 _The soldier turned, pulled another spear out of thin air, and slashed a girl in bronze armor across the neck. She dropped dead, and he swung the spear again, piling teenager atop teenager._

 _As soon as he was done, he swiftly set fire to the poor bodies, and sped off out of sight. I gagged, looking at the brutally murdered, burning bodies piled on top of each other like unwanted trash. The smoke made my eyes blur for a short amount of time, and I rubbed at them until my eyesight was back._

 _I immediately became confused again, when my vision returned, not believing what I was seeing. It was as if I had imagined the whole thing._

 _There was no one on the battlefield anymore, just an empty mass of blood, weapons, and dirt. There wasn't even any bodies left from the ones who weren't lucky enough to survive._

 _The mist was still there, but there was no sign of life at all. The only movement was the flicker of fire here and there around the area. The fire that the guy in black armor had set on those unfortunate teens had disappeared along with their corpses, although I didn't know where all of it could have possibly gone._

 _I would have been happy that all the destruction had stopped, if the mist wasn't still there, growing past the size it had been before. I stood in confusion, not moving before it was too late, as the mist swooped in on me, and made everything turn black._

"NO!" I lunged up from my bed, gasping in air as I woke up from that stupid nightmare. I looked around, but couldn't fully grasp what I was seeing. Everything was pretty much still a blur.

I thought I heard children laughing from some distance away, but it may have just been in my head. I definitely wasn't thinking straight, and didn't even attempt to get out of the cot I was lying in.

I didn't know how I was put there, or why, but having all those answers wasn't really at the top of my priorities. I needed to get the fog in my head to go away before I tried to go anywhere. And... _holy_ _shit_ , I needed to find Brynn.

Slowly, the actions of the last twenty-four hours returned to me. The giant, Yancy, exams, Brynn's fork. It all came back to me at once, and my head started pounding even worse than it already was. I groaned in pain, my surroundings seeming to melt together in a swirl of agony.

I felt like I was about to go unconscious again, but I fought to stay awake. Brynn may need me, and I still had no idea where the fuck I was.

I groaned loudly as an even bigger wave of nausea washed over me, and I doubled over to grasp my stomach. I faintly heard someone walk in, and they instantly started spouting quiet profanities, I couldn't tell who it was, but I didn't really care about anything besides my physical state, at the moment. Something clattered to the ground, making an unbearably loud sound as it hit the floor, and the person rushed out, muttering about something I couldn't make out.

After some amount of time (I couldn't really tell how much, thanks to my godawful migraine), I heard more people run into my room. Slowly, a familiar smell of peaches wafted through the room, and somewhere through the torture, I smiled.

A shadow blocked the light of the sun from my face, and I tried to say something to whoever was standing over me.

"Shhhh, shhh, it's okay." A stranger whispered, cutting me off, as one of her cold hands touched my forehead. Her artificial, overpowering scent of lavender covered up the soothing aroma of peaches, and I immediately flinched away from her grasping fingers.

After a reluctant sigh from the unknown female, a set of warmer, more comforting hands caressed my face. A new voice filled the space, one that I recognized and loved for it's regal, but fierce elegance and authority. It reminded me of the type of voice you'd hear from a queen. "Hey, Weatherman."

And I finally had my nickname for my best friend. "Hey, Princess."

o.O.o

"Zac, you need to sit up." Brynn said for the seven billionth time that afternoon, as I proceeded to lie flat on my hospital bed.

"No," I groaned, my head still pounding, " _You_ need to lie down."

"I don't want to lie down with you, I want you to get up and talk with me." She argued, stepping up from the chair next to my cot to put her hands on her waist.

"I find it funny how you want me to get up and speak, while literally every other girl in the world wants me to lie in bed with them and shut up." I joked, earning an eye roll and a middle finger.

"Hey, don't be like that, Princess. I'm just under the _weather_." I winked at her to emphasize my pun, and Brynn sighed in an exasperated manner.

"I'm not a Princess, Weatherman." She whispered absentmindedly, stroking my hair as I closed my eyes. "And I'm not getting up, but that doesn't stop you from bringing it up, either." I replied, shivering as her fingers massaged my head.

"You are _such_ a smartass, you know that?" Brynn asked, sitting at the edge of my bed. "Hmm, maybe." I replied, my mind wandering to the feeling of her hands running through my hair.

I pouted as her fingers removed themselves from my scalp, but she didn't acknowledge my need for a head massage.

"You need to take more ambrosia and nectar, Zac. It'll help you feel better." Brynn said, bending down so that she could get more nectar from the cabinet near my cot.

I admired the view for a few seconds, before closing my eyes with a smile. I really needed to work on being less perverted. "Does nectar taste special to you?" Brynn suddenly asked, causing my eyes to blink open, once more.

"What do you mean?" I replied, but she just shook her head. "You don't answer a question with another question, Zac."

"Uh, I guess it sorta tastes like the omelets my...nevermind, forget it. I don't really know what the drink tastes like, to be honest." I mentally berated myself, as I had almost slipped up and told Brynn about my biological mom.

"Oh...okay. Nectar tastes like the cookies my mom used to make at the end of each month, to celebrate another month of training. It reminds me of the day you showed up at our doorstep, soaking wet."

I saw Brynn glance back at me, while she looked for some ambrosia to go with the nectar. I knew that she was going to start asking questions about that night, and how I collapsed at her house so late in the night. She just didn't understand. I could never share what happened that night, to anyone, ever.

"I still remember that day like it was yesterday." Brynn continued, walking over, and placing ambrosia in my limp hand. She set the nectar on the table at my bedside, and sat in the chair next to my head.

"That night was kind of hard to forgot, in my defense. You wore a dark blue t-shirt with at _least_ three holes in it and plaid pajama pants, which looked more like something a teenager would wear to bed, than a kindergartener. Plus you were shivering, hungry, and had a black eye."

"Yeah, that was definitely memorable." I mumbled, wishing that Brynn hadn't brought it up. That night may have been good for her, but, before I ended up with the Hunters, I had to persevere through the worst day of my life.

"You seem tired, I think I'm going to give you some time to rest. Obviously, you're not getting up anytime soon, so we can talk later, okay?" Brynn said, wiping her hands on her joggers, as she stood up.

I greedily snatched her hand, and pulled her closer to me. "No, stay with me. Come on, best friend, just for a few more minutes. Or hours."

Brynn smiled at me, and my heart skipped a beat. "Sorry, best friend, but Derek promised to show me around camp today."

I frowned, remembering that Derek was the muscular, blonde guy who'd come with Brynn when I first woke up. I didn't like him right off the bat, but now, I was on the way to hating his guts.

"Brynn, I just woke up. I'm exhausted, but somehow, I know I won't be able to sleep. I don't know about you, but I've been having, uh...nightmares. You know, like, bad ones. Can you-could you please stay?"

I didn't want to sound like a weak idiot by admitting my nightmares to her. Brynn was one of the toughest, bravest people I knew, and she probably wouldn't want to put up with my babbling. But still, she knew I was speaking the truth, and she was my best friend, after all.

"Oh, I didn't know that you were getting weird dreams, too. I haven't experienced any bad dreams yet, but I'm pretty sure that they're getting there. I'll just tell Derek to schedule our tour for later."

I smiled in triumph, as she climbed onto the cot, next to me. Her body warmth calmed me instantly, even though I was under the covers, and she wasn't. The scent of peaches lulled me into a peaceful state, and I tried not to fall asleep before Brynn let me cuddle into her.

"Are you going to get closer or what?" I asked boldly, trying to act cool, despite my insecurity.

"Fine, gods. Pushy much?" She teased, squirming into my arms. I practically sighed in content, as her perfect body molded with mine.

"Thirty minutes tops, okay?" Brynn whispered, suddenly sounding sleepy.

"Yeah, I can wake up in half an hour." I replied, although I really had no intention of moving from where I was. We hadn't slept in the same bed since we were kids, but I didn't care. It felt fucking amazing to have her in my arms.

"M'kay." She murmured, sniffing adorably, before completely falling asleep. I grinned and allowed my eyes to close as well, knowing that with Brynn by my side, I wouldn't have any more nightmares to plague my mind.


End file.
